Chavez fight on amid security risks

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The University of Texas System chancellor announced Friday he will allow a high-profile boxing match between Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Andy Lee to be held on the school’s El Paso campus if law enforcement can ensure a safe environment, reversing a three-day-old ban that had upset city leaders. Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa had canceled the June 16 fight at the Sun Bowl, citing a “higher than normal’’ security risk. A law enforcement official said that a federal risk assessment had warned that leaders of warring Mexican drug cartels would attend. Diana Natalicio, the president of the University of Texas at El Paso, said Cigarroa told her one reason he canceled the fight was a tie between Chavez Jr. and Sinaloa drug cartel boss Joaquin “Chapo’’ Guzman mentioned in a federal security report. Local media reported Chavez Jr. is in a relationship with Guzman’s son’s widow. Cigarroa set several conditions for the fight to go forward: State, local, and federal law enforcement must promise they can handle any security measures, the contract with the promoter and the security plan must be approved by system officials in advance, and no alcohol can be served. Fight promoter Bob Arum said if the restrictions can’t be met, he’ll move the fight to Houston.

South Carolina latest to be punished

Colleges

The NCAA ruled that South Carolina failed to monitor its athletic program that resulted in various rules violations and has accepted the school’s proposed sanctions to cut six football scholarships and slash its official recruiting visits by more than half in the coming year. There were no forfeiture of games or a bowl ban attached to the penalties, which stemmed from athletes receiving $59,000 in impermissible benefits. The NCAA said South Carolina’s cooperation went “beyond standard expectations.’’ South Carolina was placed on probation for three years, ending April 26, 2015. Football coach Steve Spurrier was not named in the violations . . . Jerry Sandusky’s lawyers have been improperly issuing subpoenas and using them to aid his defense against child sex-abuse charges, prosecutors said in a court filing. The attorney general’s office asked a judge to have the subpoenas withdrawn and to force Sandusky’s lawyers to show how information they are seeking is relevant to the criminal case. Among their claims is that lawyers for the former Penn State assistant football coach sent subpoenas to police and others that improperly revealed the names of alleged victims . . . A judge said he expects to announce a decision in two weeks after hearing arguments on a motion to dismiss a defamation lawsuit against Syracuse University men’s basketball coach Jim Boeheim. Former ballboys Bobby Davis and Mike Lang claim Boeheim slandered them when he said they were out for money by claiming former assistant coach Bernie Fine sexually abused them. Boeheim’s lawyer cited the coach’s constitutional right to express his opinions . . . Several Southern Methodist men’s basketball players were informed by new coach Larry Brown that they will not remain on the team after Brown held individual meetings with players . . . The Princeton men became the first Ivy League team to win a distance medley relay since 1961 in the Penn Relays at Philadelphia.

Nadal up, Murray down at Barcelona

Top-seeded Rafael Nadal dispatched Janko Tipsarevic, 6-2, 6-2, to advance to the Barcelona Open semifinals, while Milos Raonic served 14 aces and upset second-seeded Andy Murray, 6-4, 7-6 (3). Nadal, a six-time champion at the tournament, will face fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco after Kei Nishikori was forced to retire with an injury. Raonic will face David Ferrer, who saved three match points while rallying to beat Feliciano Lopez, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (7), 6-3 . . . Top-ranked Victoria Azarenka needed nearly three hours to overcome big-serving wild-card Mona Barthel, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 7-5, for a place in the Porsche Grand Prix semifinals at Stuttgart, Germany. Azarenka will face fourth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska. Second-ranked Maria Sharapova rallied to outlast No. 5 Sam Stosur, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 7-5. Sharapova will face Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova . . . FIFA announced plans to test goal-line technology in live matches. The International Football Associations Board is set to make a final decision on whether to allow the use of goal-line technology at a meeting on July 2 . . . Philadelphia Union defender Gabriel Farfan’s suspension was extended to three games by Major League Soccer. Farfan received an automatic one-game suspension for his red card last Saturday against Chivas USA, when his late challenge against James Riley in the 85th minute led to a scuffle.